78 roads had been blocked and 84 bridges in flood-stricken areas affected
From mid-March to April 2019 widespread flash flooding affected large parts of Iran, most severely in Golestan, Fars, Khuzestan, Lorestan, and other provinces. Iran has been hit by three major waves of rain and flooding over the course of two weeks[5] which led to flooding in at least 26 of Iran's 31 provinces[6] and at least 70 people died nationwide as of 6 April, according to the officials.[6] The first wave of rain began on 17 March, leading to flooding in two northern provinces, Golestan and Mazandaran with the former province receiving as much as 70 percent of its average annual rainfall in single day.[6] Several large dams have been overflowed, particularly in Khuzestan and Golestan, therefore many villages and several cities have been evacuated.[5] About 1,900 cities and villages across country have been damaged by severe floods as well as hundreds of millions of dollars of damage to water and agriculture infrastructure. 78 roads were blocked and the reliability of 84 bridges was questioned.[7][8]
Severity of the floods was greatly increased by converting flood routes and dry river beds for urban development without providing proper drainage infrastructure.[9] According to an Iranian official, due to record rainfalls, more than 140 rivers have burst their banks and about 409 landslides have happened in the country. The impact of the floods was heightened because of the Nowruz holiday; many Iranians were traveling and many deaths occurred due to flash flooding on roads and highways.[7] Around 12,000km of roads were damaged by the flooding, about 36% of Iran's national road network.[3] The floods caused at least $2.2 billion (2019 USD) in damages, mostly due to losses in the agricultural industry.[4] Further, according to Red Crescent, two million people are in need of humanitarian aid due to the devastating floods.[10]
Civil and armed forces have been mobilized since 24 March after the command of Ali Khamenei, Iran's Supreme Leader, and vice President, Eshaq Jahangiri, along with several ministers as well as army commanders have traveled to the areas affected by floods.[11] However, the lack of government aid and delayed response at the first days quickly heightened political tensions throughout the nation. Many Iranians including politicians took to social media platforms to criticize the handling of the floods by the government, specifically President Hassan Rouhani.[12] Civilian outrage ultimately led to deadly clashes between protesters and government soldiers. The floods prompted a large outcry against the government rule which was perceived as worsening the floods through destructive measures such as the destruction of natural plant coverage, obstruction of flood outlets, and converting flood routes and dry river beds to residential areas following the Islamic Revolution.[13][14]
On 20 March 2019, massive rainfall in the two provinces of Golestan and Mazandaran in Iran brought about heavy flooding.[15] These floods resulted in financial damages to the people living in these areas and also the deaths of two children.[16] State-run media reports indicated that flash floods had surfaced in 70 villages in Golestan and more than 200 villages in Mazandaran. Iran's Minister of Energy also reported that 360 villages in Golestan province and 193 villages in Mazandaran province had lost electricity due to floods.[17] Coincident with Iran's national holiday, Nowruz,.[18]
The first wave of rain began on 17 March, leading to flooding in two northern provinces, Golestan and Mazandaran with the former province receiving as much as 70 percent of its average annual rainfall in a single day.[6] Several large dams have overflowed, particularly in Khuzestan and Golestan, therefore, many villages and several cities were evacuated.[5] In many areas, homes and lands have been partially or totally submerged for several days.[6] Portions of Golestan province received 50-70percent of their average annual rainfall over a five-day period. Some areas recorded approximately 300mm (12in) of rainfall, equivalent to a year's-worth of rain. These amounts exceed any accumulations in the region in at least 70 years. The flooding in Golestan and Mazandaran provinces is considered a 1-in-100-year event.[19]
On 6 April 2019, about two weeks after the flood, the town of Aqqala in the northern province of Golestan, is still covered with lethal flood. Local authorities say "they have to wait for the water to vaporize".[citation needed]
The governor of Golestan province was also reportedly on vacation outside the country during the floods.[12] Later, he was dismissed by the vice President.[20]
On 25 March, flash floods following heavy rains in Southwestern Iran in the vicinity of the city of Shiraz[21] killed 19 people[22] and injured more than 200 others.[23] Many people were traveling for the Nowruz holiday, and were injured or killed when their cars were swept off of roads. Rain was short but heavy, lasting in two bursts of approximately 15 minutes each; however, the impact was exacerbated by the heavy road traffic at the time. Iran's Meteorological Organisation gave warnings for further floods, as heavy rains were expected to last at least until 27 March.[24] The leader of the Iranian Ministry of Energy has stated that climate change was a contributing factor to the flooding.[24] As of 26 March 2019, 20 of Iran's 31 provinces are either currently flooded or facing the possibility of imminent flooding.[21]
According to a dissident news organization,[which?] local sources reported that as many as 150 people were killed in the floods in Shiraz on 25 March.[citation needed] Official reports, however, indicated that a total of 21 people were killed in Fars province, which includes Shiraz, by 5 April.[25]
A brief but intense rainfall caused a sudden flash flood that submerged the main highway between Shiraz and Esfahan, trapping many travelers who had been leaving the city after Nowruz celebrations. City officials did not warn the people of Shiraz of the deadly weather conditions resulting in many deaths.[26]
The initial investigations of the Shiraz flash floods showed that a water canal adjacent to the Quran Gate was paved over in the early 2000s for use as a road by the Shiraz municipality. The road expansion did not include a sufficient drainage system.[citation needed]
The railway between Tehran and southwestern Iran had already been shut down on 1 April following initial floods.[27]
Heavy rains on 3 April, have completely overwhelmed several towns in the mountainous Lorestan province.[28] The town of Poldokhtar in Lorestan province was engulfed by flood water. After the floodwaters subsided, cars and homes remained sunken in thick layers of mud.[citation needed] According to a dissident news agency,[which?] an internal police report stated that at least 90 people were killed when floods engulfed the western city of Poldokhtar in Lorestan province.[citation needed] According to the IRGC-affiliated Tasnim News Agency, Heydari said that the conditions in Poldokhtar were "horrific".[29]
At least 150,000 people were evacuated within the province.[27]
Khuzestan
Due to heavy rain fall in Zagros Mountains, Dez River and Karkheh River overflowed and water accumulated in Dez Dam and Karkheh Dam so that Karkhe dam's reservoir located in Khuzestan province, reached to 8400m³/sec.[30] As dams reached to their maximum capacity, power ministry of Iran managed to release water.[31]
Khuzestan's governor Gholamreza Shariati ordered six towns and cities and about 70 villages located along the Karkheh River have to be evacuated, but about Ahvaz, Khuzestan's capital is not an injunction for evacuation.[34][35] 47 camps in the province have been prepared to house for 30,400 people.[36]
In order to prevent disaster occurrence, the Karkheh Dam, which was at near capacity, was opened to discharge excessive water.[37]
On 8 April 2019, 20 lifeboats for rescue works in Iran floods was donated by Germany. Khuzestan Red Crescent Society Director Ali Khodadadi said officials will use them for rescue operations in Dasht-e-Azadegan, Shush, Shushtar, Ahvaz and other regions located in the southwestern Khuzestan province.[36]
During the second week of April, about 200 villages had been evacuated, with 46,000 people displaced and living in emergency shelters.[1] In total, 6 cities and 210 villages were inundated.[38]
In Ahvaz, 110 patients were evacuated from a hospital for the mentally ill on 8 April, according to a government news agency.[38]
Tehran
A major rockfall caused by heavy rains on 31 March injured five people.[27]
Kermanshah
At least 19,000 people were evacuated from their homes following floods on 31 March.[27]
Isfahan
On 31 March, Golpayegan Dam located in Isfahan province near the borders with Markazi and Lorestan provinces filled, therefore the people residing in the areas near the downstream of the dam and river banks were warned to evacuate their homes.[39]
Other cities
On 25 March, there was a warning because of flood in some 26 provinces of 31 and villages near rivers and dams in several provinces have been ordered to evacuate from rising water.[40] In Hamedan, heavy snowfall was reported to have destroyed buildings.[27] Water levels in Lake Urmia, in northwestern Iran, rose by 42cm by 5 April.[25][41]
On 14 April, Officials warned people living in the east of Iran, because of heavy rains forecast.[42]
Causes
Using NASA's data, an atmospheric river (AR), named AR Dena, was found responsible for the record floods of March 2019 in Iran.[43] This rare AR started its long, 9000km journey from the Atlantic Ocean and travelled across North Africa before its final landfall over the Zagros Mountains. Water transport by AR Dena was equivalent to more than 150 times the aggregated flow of the four major rivers in the region (Tigris, Euphrates, Karun and Karkheh). This event was a compelling example of rapid dry-to-wet transitions and intensification of extremes, resulting from the climate change.
Climate change
According to an Aljazeera report, the recent floods arose from climate change and global warming. The head of Iran's meteorology service stated that a decades-long drought has not been solved by the flood.[42]
The flooding caused the destruction of hundreds of millions of dollars of infrastructure and the collapse of at least 314 bridges across the country.[46] Twenty-three of the nation's thirty-one provinces were affected. Agriculture suffered tremendous damage, with losses in the sector reaching 46trillion rials (US$1.1billion) by 3 April. Golestan accounted for the largest portion at 20trillion rials (US$480million).[44] At least 25,000 houses were completely destroyed, while another 60,000 sustained some form of damage.[47] 44 public libraries in Iran also suffered flood damage.[48] According to reports from Aljazeera, out of 800 villages affected by the flood in Golestan, 95 villages are yet to recover from it.[49]
Mohamad Hossein Talebian, deputy chairman of Iran's Cultural Heritage Organization reported on 27 March that "cracks on the ancient reliefs in Naqsh-e Rustam in Fars province are widening in a critical way." Social media reports revealed a waterfall made by the floods that has been washing away parts of the monument. In April 1398, the floods caused severe damage to the city of Khorramabad.[citation needed] The construction of a new and non-expert bridge on the Khorramabad River with a very low altitude from the river level has exacerbated and flooded the streets of Khorramabad city.[50] The Iranian authorities say that currently, a projected bill of at least $2.5 billion is needed to fix the damage, according to NBC News.[51]
According to Talebian, "The Persepolis remains intact as its ancient water ducts have drained flood water." The ancient water ducts also protected the Tomb of Cyrus the Great and saved the internationally acclaimed site from destruction by the floods. Excavations of Great Wall of Gorgan were also damaged due to its close proximity to a dry riverbed which experienced flooding. The floods have damaged the Aq Qala bridge in northern Iran and several other centuries-old bridges in Isfahan and Shoushtar.[50] According to the guardian, the damages have been so severe that the Iranian authorities have stopped foreign journalists from visiting the areas that are affected the worst.[52]
On 15 April 2019 it was reported that a leisure center that belonged to Iran's security forces was one of the "major structures" responsible for the recent deadly flood.[53]
On 23 March, Iran's supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, commanded the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran to participate in the relief efforts.[54] Civil and armed forces have been mobilized since 24 March and Eshaq Jahangiri with several ministers as well as army commanders have traveled to the areas affected by floods to help people.[11]
On 25 March, Shortly after the floods began the Rouhani administration proceeded to ban all third party charities to help the flood relief effort citing that all donations must be made directly to the Iranian government thus preventing foreign aid from reaching the country.[55] On 6 April, as the Iran government has promised, all damages will be recompensed, actually for farmers.[56]
On 25 March, Chief Justice of Iran, Ebrahim Raisi stated that "Any shortcomings regarding the handling of the floods, failure to provide relief and aid to the survivors will be investigated".[40]
On 7 April, according to Iranian Red Cross, "14,238 units of tents, 58,494 packs of blankets, 32,961 packs of ground sheets, 43,509kg of plastic sheets, 3,083 pcs of heaters, 2,851 health sets, 1355 kitchen sets, 227,696 bottles of mineral water, 125,993 canned food, 235,405 loaves of bread, 1,877kg of date, 41,992kg of rice, 9,485kg of edible oil, 3955 boxes of Biscuits, 8,710kg of sugar, 11,753kg of beans and 84,580 food packages" have been distributed. In total, "537,000 kgs of food and living items have been transferred through 556 flight hours and 1,970 relief and rescue workers were transported". The relief services include proving basic supports such as food and water "for more than 257,000 people and proving temporally shelters for more than 98,000 persons." In addition, "1138 persons were transferred to safe areas and 89 persons transferred to the clinics."[57] According to Iranian Red Cross, several thousands of vital requirements have been distributed among those affected by floods.[57]
On 9 April, following the Relief efforts in Golestan province, Deputy Commander of Neynava Division of the IRGC Colonel Seyed Mousa Hosseini promised that in order to enliven people, their efforts such as feeding, relief aid, and housing is keeping until normally everyday life appears. Shahid Shoushtari field hospital belong to the IRGC Ground Force and the specialized hospital of the IRGC's Navy have been established respectively in Aqqala and also Siminshahr and Golmishan, about 78328 injured people have been cured. He added that "In the engineering sector, the IRGC’s Brigade 45 of Engineers built 20 bridges on the road between Gomishan to Bandar Turkmen in less than 60 hours."[39]
Relief efforts including clearing rubble, diverting water, building dykes, and distributing supplies are performing by local communities, soldiers and volunteers.[42] On 9 April, volunteer team including 90 trained rescue people from West Azerbaijan province went to flood-stricken regions.[39]
In order to help to flood-stricken people, the Execution of Imam Khomeini's Order (EIKO) known as Setad has prepared essential equipment containing fresh food, blankets, drinking water, and even toys for children. Also EIKO furnished facilities (fridges, washing machines, carpets, and other necessary elements) for 15000 families and provided 4,000 cattle of 9,000 killed by the flood for families living in villages. Some temporary clinics have been established to cure wounded and give medicine. The Barakat Foundation performed most of aids as the representative of EIKO. In other hands, the organization ensured, when people return to their normal life, EIKO will be able to "provide some 3,000 job opportunities" for citizens. In Khouzistan exposed to flood risk, 140,000 rural homes were insured by Barakat Foundation.[58]
Pakistan's National Disaster Management Authority, on the order of country's Prime Minister Imran Khan, sent 32 tonnes of relief goods to Iran. The consignment comprising two shipments contained 500 tents, 3,300 blankets and emergency medical kits.[59][60] The relief goods were transferred using two C-130 aircraft. Previously Pakistan's Foreign Office (FO) spokesperson, Dr. Muhammad Faisal, condoled with the families of the victims. The spokesperson further claimed that Pakistan is ready to provide humanitarian assistance to Iran in rescue effort. He claimed that people of Pakistan stand in solidarity with Iranian people in their difficult time.[61]
The European Union pledged to donate 1.2 million Euros to help with relief efforts.[62]
On 13 April, The aid convoy including more than 100 vehicles which was sent by Iraq's Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba, a major Shia resistance group arrived in Iran. The consignments have been donated to Iran's flood-stricken people living in Khuzestan and Lorestan provinces.[63]
On 13 April Ali Asghar Peyvandi, the head of Iranian Red Crescent Society, said that despite non-cash assistance such as blankets, tents, sanitary wares donated from Kuwait, Turkey, Azerbaijan, France, Germany, Armenia, Pakistan, foreign cash aid has not been deposited to the Iranian Red Crescent account, So far, we have not received even a dollar or one euro. He mentioned that the reason for this is closure of the SWIFT and Iranian Red Crescent account as a result of Sanctions.[64][65][66] Also, it is not possible for the Iranians abroad and International Committee of the Red Cross to deposit cash aid to the Iranian Red Crescent account.[64][67]
In order to assist people who have been affected by the heavy flood in Iran, the WHO on 10 April 2019, has deployed important medical supplies in the country.[68]
Controversy
President Hassan Rouhani was heavily criticized for his delayed response. Rouhani suffered greater scrutiny after it was revealed that he was on vacation on Iran's Qeshm Island in the Persian Gulf and returned to Tehran while the floods had begun subsiding.[69] The lack of aid and the presence of the Iranian government quickly prompted outrage among the victims of the floods. Iranians across the nation expressed their frustration by a Persian hashtag translated as "Where is Rouhani?" Iranians also began calling for Rouhani's resignation. "Mr. Rouhani, you better submit your resignation from wherever you are. Your appearance will only open up people's wounds," read another tweet.[70] The governor of Golestan province was also reportedly on vacation outside the country during the floods.[12] Foreign journalists were not allowed to covering the flood-stricken areas according to Atlantic Council.[46]
Many Iranians took to social media platforms to criticize the handling of the floods by the regime specifically Rouhani.[46][71] Swedish-Iranian academic and researcher Ahmad Reza Jalali, currently on death row after being sentenced at the Islamic Revolutionary Court in Tehran, gave an interview to U.S. government-funded Radio Farda attributing the destruction of natural plant coverage, obstruction of flood outlets, and converting flood routes and dry river beds to residential areas following the Islamic Revolution were the causes of the flash floods in Shiraz.[9]
In April 2019, two weeks after the flood, Mohammad Pakpour, a commander of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) told the reporters there had been "no management" of the rescue or aid operations in Pol-e Dokhtar and that government officials would not "dare" to go the area because the "people are in a rebellious mood."[72]
On 12 April 2019, angry flood stricken people in Ahwaz, the capital of southern province of Khuzestan, took to the streets protesting the government's inaction to divert flood into the lagoons of Hour Al-Azim away from towns and villages.[77]
Iran is subdivided into thirty-one provinces, each governed from a local centre, usually the largest local city, which is called the capital of that province. The provincial authority is headed by a governor-general, who is appointed by the Minister of the Interior subject to approval of the cabinet.
The 2006–2007 Southeast Asian floods were a series of floods that mostly affected Malaysia from 18 December 2006 to 13 January 2007. The floods were caused by above average rainfall, which was attributed to Typhoon Utor (2006) which had hit the Philippines and Vietnam a few days earlier. By the third week of January 2007, Johor had been affected by a larger flood. Singapore and certain parts of Indonesia were flooded due to the same typhoon.
Severe Tropical Cyclone Guba was the most recent tropical cyclone to form in the Port Moresby area of responsibility. The storm resulted in 149 fatalities and severe damage across southeastern Papua New Guinea in November 2007. The firstly-named cyclone of the 2007–08 Australian region cyclone season, Guba formed on 13 November 2007 close to the island of New Guinea, and reached tropical cyclone intensity the next day by the Tropical Cyclone Warning Centre (TCWC) in Brisbane, with the TCWC in Port Moresby assigning the name Guba. It meandered in the northern Coral Sea for the next week, strengthening to a Category 3 severe tropical cyclone on 16 November. It posed a threat to the Australian Cape York Peninsula, but remained offshore, and finally dissipated on 20 November.
The 2009 Angola, Namibia and Zambia floods was a natural disaster which began in early March 2009 and resulted in the deaths of at least 131 people and otherwise affected around 445,000 people. The floods affected seven regions of Namibia, three provinces of Zambia, two regions of Angola and part of Botswana. The floodwaters damaged buildings and infrastructure and displaced at least 300,000 people. A state of emergency was declared in northern Namibia and there were fears that a disease epidemic would ensue. The Red Cross agencies and governments of the two countries responded to the disaster, and aid was distributed be the World Health Organization.
Khatam al-Anbiya Construction Headquarter is an Iranian engineering firm controlled by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The firm, also known as GHORB, is the IRGC's major engineering arm and one of Iran's largest contractors in industrial and development projects. Khatam al-Anbiya was created during the 1980–88 Iran–Iraq War to help rebuild the country, and has diversified over the years into companies dealing with mechanical engineering, energy, mining and defense.
A series of flash floods hit different areas of Thailand and Malaysia in 2010. Separate but related floods began in the Northeast and Central Thailand in early October due to abnormally late monsoon moisture over the Bay of Bengal, overflowed the Chao Phraya where the rivers meet, and affected Bangkok, and in the South were triggered by a tropical depression about two weeks later, and was later aggravated by related La Niña monsoon rains. Floods subsequently occurred in the Malaysian states of Kedah and Perlis in November 2010.
The 2011 China floods were a series of floods from June to September 2011 that occurred in central and southern parts of the People's Republic of China. They were caused by heavy rain that inundated portions of 12 provinces, leaving other provinces still suffering a prolonged drought, and with direct economic losses of nearly US$6.5 billion.
Water scarcity in Iran is caused by high climatic variability, uneven distribution of water, over exploitation of available water resources,and prioritization of economic development. Water scarcity in Iran is further exacerbated by climate change.
The 2014–2015 Malaysia floods affected Malaysia from 15 December 2014 – 3 January 2015. More than 500,000 people were affected in Malaysia. Kelantan was the highest affected with 354,800 while 21 were killed. These floods have been described as the worst in decades.
Presidential elections were held in Iran on 19 May 2017, the twelfth of such elections. Local elections were held simultaneously.
Public protests took place in several cities in Iran beginning on 28 December 2017 and continued into early 2018, sometimes called the Dey protests. The first protest took place in Mashhad, Iran's second-largest city by population, initially focused on the economic policies of the country's government; as protests spread throughout the country, their scope expanded to include political opposition to the theocratic government of Iran and its longtime Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei. The Iranian public showcased their fury in the protests with a wide repertoire of chants aimed at the regime and its leadership. According to The Washington Post, protesters' chants and attacks on government buildings upended a system that had little tolerance for dissent, with some demonstrators even shouting "Death to the dictator!"—referring to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei—and asking security forces to join them.
The COVID-19 pandemic in Iran has resulted in 7,627,863 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 146,837 deaths.
The 2021-2022 Iranian protests erupted on 15 July 2021 to protest the water shortages and crisis, but were quickly met with police violence and brutality. "Bloody Aban", November 2021 saw further protests due to water shortages but various other protests and strikes also took place due to the worsening economic situation. In August 2021, Amnesty International noted that brutal forces have been used by the Security Forces to oppress the protesters.
The Tharallah Headquarters is an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps command. It is in charge of security for Tehran area. However, it also carries responsibility for territorial security in the region. The Thar-Allah Headquarters is directly subordinate to the Commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Still, its day-to-day operations are supervised by an executive commander.
In 2016 Pakistan experienced higher rainfall than normal (10-20%), especially in the pre-monsoon season. Heavy monsoon rains are common in the region. This led to multiple periods of flooding, landslides, and damage particularly in Northern Pakistan. The Swat River overflowed and multiple landslides occurred around Pakistan including in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan, Azad Jammu, and Kashmir.
From 15 June to October 2022, floods in Pakistan killed 1,739 people, and caused ₨ 3.2 trillion of damage and ₨ 3.3 trillion of economic losses. The immediate causes of the floods were heavier than usual monsoon rains and melting glaciers that followed a severe heat wave, both of which are linked to climate change.
From January to October 2022, excessive rainfall and widespread monsoon flooding occurred in the South Asian countries of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. It has become the region's deadliest floods since 2020, with over 4,700 people dead.
Qaem 100 is an Iranian expendable, small-lift, space launch vehicle developed by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). It was unveiled on 5 November 2022 and is the first rocket of the Qaem family. After a successful suborbital test flight in 2022, the rocket performed its orbital maiden flight in 2023 carrying the Nahid telecommunication satellite but failed to put it in orbit. In the next launch in 2024, it succeeded in putting the Soraya satellite into 750km orbit, breaking Iran's previous altitude record.
The 2021 Iranian water protests were a series of protests by Iranians against water shortages in Khuzestan province during the summer. Protests broke out on 15 July 2021 due to the ongoing water crisis in Iran but spread across the country to other provinces and cities where people organised rallies in solidarity with Khuzestan, including Tehran, Kermanshah, Isfahan, Bushehr, Lorestan, Kurdistan, East Azerbaijan, North Khorasan and Alborz. Protests were soon dubbed 'The Uprising of the Thirsty" and turned violent as police forces attempted to suppress them due to demands for the end of the current regime. Casualties were recorded both amongst police forces and civilian demonstrators. Protests in Khuzestan lasted for around 10 days and were predominantly urban. The last large-scale demonstration in solidarity with Khuzestan took place on 31 July in Tehran. The violent nature of the protests received a lot media-attention and various government officials made statements promising extended and specific support to the region. This included releasing more water from Karkheh Dam in northern Khuzestan and sending emergency water tanks to most affected regions.
There were floods in South Africa in February and March, then again in September and again in December 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
